Rose de Loire Wine

Rose de Loire is the catch-all appellation for rose wines from anywhere in the Touraine, Saumur and Anjou districts – the heartland of the Loire Valley wine production.

The appellation was created in 1974 and now accounts for about 60,000hL of straightforward rose each year. Generally lower in residual sugar than other Loire rose appellations (specifically Rose d'Anjou), these wines are made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pineau d'Aunis, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Grolleau Noir. 'Cabernet' (a combination of Franc and Sauvignon) must represent at least 30% of any Rose de Loire wine.

In terms of quality (and this depends, of course, on the winery/vineyard as much as its location), these roses lie between the sometimes over-sweet Rose d'Anjou and the generally drier, more-structured Cabernet d'Anjou.